With a laugh, Leah shook her head. “When he’s a teenager, he’ll have his sights trained on younger girls than me, and if he’s as charming then as he is now, I’ve no doubt that he’ll be popular.” Giving thought to a child’s death was something no parent wanted to do, and Leah was no exception. No, she wasn’t the most optimistic person in the world, but she took comfort in the thought that her daughter would grow up and outlive this infection. “Who knows, maybe he’ll even have a crush on my girl.”
It wasn’t the first time either of them had seen one another around the compound with their respective children, but it was the first time since Leah finished construction on the swing set that she’d actually been approached by Rory. Busy with other things, timing was off, whatever the reason, they hadn’t been at the playground at the same time until today.
“Typical male attention span,” Leah joked when AJ and Marigold ran off to play. “See, he’s already running after the younger ladies. Even though Mari’s older than he is.” It was odd… having a casual conversation like this. Leah had never had many friends, and the friendships she did have had dissolved over the past six or so years, so she was a little rusty on the whole female bonding thing or whatever it was.
Rory had been in the facility with Rae. Had there been any interaction between the woman and Marigold? It seemed likely, given Mari’s excitement every time she saw AJ or his name was mentioned. “Did it surprise you?” She asked, her curiosity overwhelming her social ineptitude. “Finding out I had a daughter?”